(Eagle News) — Even though he called on Davao Mayor Sara Duterte to run for a Senate seat in 2019, Senator Koko Pimentel said he was not confident he could actually convince her to do so.
“Ay hindi ako kumpiyansa kasi kausap ko si Presidente kagabi e. Kilala daw niya si Sara, mukhang magme-mayor lang but still she should give it a second thought,” he said.
Nonetheless, he said “I’m encouraging her to run especially now that federalism is an uphill climb.”
“By next year hindi pa naman tayo federal system, then nationally elected pa rin ang mga senador and when senators are nationally elected, unlike in federalism na regional, Mindanaoans do not enjoy sufficient representation,” he said.
Apart from the Davao mayor, actor Robin Padilla, former Senator Lito Lapid and singer Freddie Aguilar were included in the list of possible PDP-Laban submitted by Pimentel to President Rodrigo Duterte for his consideration.